


Scenes Outside of the Smash

by Life_on_Vega



Category: Super Smash Brothers
Genre: Gen, Vingettes, short scenes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-21
Updated: 2015-01-04
Packaged: 2018-03-02 14:41:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2815811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Life_on_Vega/pseuds/Life_on_Vega
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The fourth Smash Tournament is the largest ever, with over forty fighters coming from different worlds, each with their own personalities and stories. However, the most interesting moments aren't found solely in the arena, but also in the interactions outside of the battlefield.</p><p>This is a fic that features a short scene between fighters each chapter. Spoilers for their respective series (if any) will be marked. More tags will be added as more characters appear.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Princes

Prince Marth of Altea leaned against the kitchen table and rested his head in his hand as he read the letter from home. Shiida, his fiancée, had written him a full three pages, front and back. She had filled the first page with love messages, encouragement, and stories about their friends around the castle. Marth had smiled, relieved that his compatriots were all right.

But of course, Marth was still the prince of a country, and so the next two pages described current events and tribulations. The villagers to the north were anxious about this year’s crops, and the ones to the south were making noises about their tax collectors.

He had just finished reading about a pushy group of nobles in the cabinet when he heard the sound of clawed feet scraping against the tile floor. He didn’t look up. The fighter was likely just coming in for a snack and would be gone in a moment.

Marth set the second page aside and picked up the third as he heard the fighter clamber on to the kitchen counter, open the cabinet, and begin rummaging around. He let the noise fade into the background. He read on about his economy, and began to make mental calculations with the trading profits. Akaneia was their best trading partner, but perhaps he could –

“What’re ya readin’?”

Startled, Marth looked up to find that Bowser Jr. had climbed on the kitchen table, and was now staring down the prince. He held the entire jar of cookies in one claw.

“I’m just reading a letter from home. My fiancée has written to me about current events in my kingdom. It’s rather long and complicated, so I’m sure you wouldn’t be interested,” said Marth. He tried to go back to reading, but he felt Bowser Jr. continue to stare at him, and the clawed feet didn’t move.

After a moment, the young koopa snatched up one of the pages and held it close to his face.

“Excuse me,” said Marth, trying to hold back a glare, “that’s a private letter, and you really shouldn’t be reading it-”

“Have you got enough food stored up for those peasants?” asked Bowser Jr., peering at the letter.

“…Pardon?”

He rolled his eyes. “ _I said_ , have you got enough food for those peasants. When the farmers start worrying about the crops, you can bet your shell it’s gonna be a bad year.”

“I…” Marth cleared his throat. “Yes, we do, we store extra grain and corn around the capital. Now, if you’d please-”

“And what about those cruddy tax collectors? What’re you gonna do about them?”

“I – I hadn’t decided that yet. I planned on finishing the letter and thinking a while before writing a response.”

“Well, I say ya haul those tax people into the courts and make sure they get nailed for stealing money. And tell everybody about the trial, too, so they can come and see it, and say how much ya hate guys who steal from ordinary folks. Makes ya look good, and the people get what they want.” Bowser Jr. set down the cookie jar so he could turn the paper and read the other side.

Marth blinked. “That… sounds like a reasonable plan. I didn’t think you would be interested in this sort of thing, Bowser Jr.”

“Oh, please!” he cried, balling his claws into fists and bracing them on his hips, “I’m the heir to the throne! Of course I’m gonna know about this ruling stuff! Did you forget that my dad is the Koopa King?”

“I hadn’t forgotten,” said Marth, raising his hands, hoping to pacify him, “it’s just that ruling and statecraft don’t come up very often in smash tournaments.”

“Well, don’t you forget it again,” said Bowser Jr. He returned to reading the letter.

It was Marth’s turn to stare. Truth be told, he hadn’t ever considered that Bowser Jr. would also be a prince. In fact, it came as a shock to him that Bowser had children at all, let alone eight. (The fact that all of them lived up to the title of “royal terrors” was not a surprise, however.) But did that mean…

“So…” said Marth, filling the silence, “does that make you the oldest out of your siblings?”

“Nah, I’m the youngest,” replied Bowser Jr. He didn’t look up.

“Does the Koopa Kingdom have a different system of succession?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Eh, no, it’s s’posed ta be that oldest kids get the throne first, but none a’ the others wanted it. They like the castle and getting to do whatever they want, but they don’t wanna deal with ruling people. Like Ludwig, he wants to be a composer, and Iggy wants to invent stuff. But I always wanted to learn about what my dad did all day, so I got to be named the heir.” He finished reading the second page of the letter and began to peer at the page that Marth still held in his hand.

“Then, you must have tutors who are giving you lessons in ruling,” said Marth. He set his page down on the table, but kept a firm hand over it.

“Yeah, but they’re so _boring_ ,” whined Bowser Jr., “they go on and on about kings and queens who didn’t do anything. My dad’s stories are way better! And Mama Peach tells me stuff about ruling, too.”

“Mama Peach?” asked Marth, taken aback.

“Yeah, she’s at our castle so much that she has time to give me a few lessons,” said Bowser Jr. “Anyway, my dad’s the best king there ever was, so that’s why he’s a good teacher.”

“And, why is your father the best king? I mean, I don’t know anything about your country’s history, so I have to ask.”

“Well, ya know how long all the other kings and queens lasted?”

“I don't.”

“Six months,” said Bowser Jr. “In fact, there used ta be a sayin’ that went, ‘In by summer, out by winter.’ You wanna know how long my dad’s been king?”

“Of course.”

“Twenty-nine _years_ ,” he said, his chest puffing with pride. “And he’s been king so long because he actually helped people out, instead of just taking everything for himself, like all those other kings did!”

“I didn’t know any of this,” said Marth, shaking his head.

“Well, ya should,” said Bowser Jr. “Heh, if you ever have trouble with that kingdom of yours, you could ask my dad for some tips!” He finally set the page of the letter down and grabbed the jar of cookies again. After he hopped down from the table, he said, “Have fun with that letter. I’ve got important prince stuff to do!”

Marth watched as Bowser Jr. walked out of the kitchen, munching on cookies as he went. He had just returned to reading the last page when the koopa came scrambling back.

“Oh yeah, and if you tell anybody that I stole Yoshi’s cookies, I’m gonna have my dad kidnap you and throw you in the dungeon! Let’s see your fancy knights get you outta that! Ha!”

Bowser Jr. disappeared once more, his feet pattering down the hallway.

Marth stared for a moment, then shook his head. He certainly hadn’t expected a lesson in Koopa Kingdom history from Bowser Jr., but he was glad that he got to hear it. He picked up a pen to begin writing a response to Shiida, but after writing the salutation and the first line, he stopped.

He wondered if Peach knew that Bowser Jr. called her “mama.” She would probably like to know...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm playing around with the Mario canon, such as it is, but it's fun to think about how Bowser manages eight kids, a kingdom, racing tours, and the occasional princess kidnapping. He must be doing something right if he manages to have time for all that extra stuff. I got the date of twenty-nine years from the date when Super Mario Bros was released - 1985. It turns thirty years old in September of 2015!


	2. The Psychics

“’Scuse me!” shouted Ness as he dodged Princess Peach and a very bemused Marth. He began to race up the stairs, taking them two at a time with the help of his PSI. The person he was looking for was at the top of the tower, as he had been when he had first been in the Smash Tournament so many years ago. Ness knew this fighter well enough to know that he wouldn’t want to spend too much time surrounded by other people, despite how many of them wanted to spar with him again.

But Ness was the exception.

The door to the room had been left open, and Ness could see sunlight streaming through. Skidding around the corner to the doorframe, he called out, “Mewtwo!”

Mewtwo flinched at Ness’s voice, but he turned his head. _Hello, Ness._

Ness paused, took a breath, and focused his thoughts. _Oh, sorry Mewtwo. I forgot that you liked to talk like this_. He padded farther into the room. Each side of the octagonal room featured a window, save for the wall with the door he had walked into. A large cushion sat in the center of the spotless room, above which Mewtwo was hovering.

 _I suppose it has been a few years. Please remember that the next time you speak to me._ Mewtwo gave a short nod, and Ness kneeled on the cushion. It was a little strange for Ness to hear someone else’s voice in his head, but he had gotten used to it during his second tournament.

 _Speaking of a few years, what have you been doing all this time? You said you had important things to do and you wouldn’t be in the next tournament._ Ness looked over at the legendary.

 _I have been leading a group of cloned Pokémon and protecting them,_ replied Mewtwo, gazing out the forward window. _Team Rocket had been pursuing us for a while._

 _Had been?_ thought Ness.

 _I destroyed three separate Rocket bases. They did not bother us after that._ For a moment, Mewtwo smirked.

 _Whoa… so, now that they’re okay, you were able to come back?_ Ness shifted his weight off of his legs.

 _It was not entirely my decision. Master Hand communicated to me that many of the fighters wished to battle me again. Crazy Hand was more –_ Ness could feel a wave of annoyance _– **insistent.**_

 _Yeah, Crazy Hand has that name for a reason._ Ness turned his gaze to the green lawn below the manor. _I really am glad you’re back, though. And not just because I can test my PSI against you again._

Ness could feel the mental connection between him and the Pokémon, but it was silent. Then, Mewtwo responded, _There is someone you miss. A fellow psychic._

The boy’s eyes were fixed forward for a second, but quickly turned downward to look at his shoes. Ness began to twist a shoelace around a finger.

 _…Yeah. His name is Lucas. He has PSI, too. He came from my future. It –_ his finger stopped moving _– was nice to have a best friend. A best friend at this tournament, I mean. Someone who understood my world. I mean, not that you don’t, but he –_

 _Was someone extremely close to you._ Mewtwo closed his eyes. _…Pardon my intrusion, but you sacrificed your well-being to allow him to escape from the enemy. You had met him only seconds before._

 _Well… Lucas was in trouble. I could feel that he was scared._ Ness looked up. _…It’s just what a hero is supposed to do._

Again, Mewtwo was silent, but there was some sort of undefinable, positive emotion emanating from his mind. Ness felt an odd sense of comfort.

 _…There are other fighters I have not met before in this tournament,_ thought Mewtwo, looking forward again. _Who are they?_

 _Oh, well, there are lots more Pokémon this time,_ replied Ness, leaning back and bracing his arms. _Let’s see… There’s Pikachu, but you already know him. There’s Charizard, who was in the tournament last time, but Red’s not with him now._

_Red? The current champion?_

_Yeah! He said it was fun, but that he wanted to get back to training in Kanto. But Charizard liked being here so much that he let him come to the tournament on his own._

_I am interested to see how strong this Pokémon is. Perhaps a Pokémon raised by a champion isn’t so weak._ Mewtwo had already begun mentally listing the possible attacks that Charizard could have.

 _Heh. I thought you might say that._ Another memory arose. _Oh, Lucario was in the last tournament, too. He helped us fight the Subspace Army, and he can see people’s auras. He’s a Fighting and a Steel type, so that makes your attacks extra effective, right?_

 _Perhaps, but I doubt that Master Hand would allow type effectiveness in these battles,_ Mewtwo responded. _Even so, the Aura Pokémon will be a good opponent._

 _Jigglypuff is still here, and she still hangs out with Kirby all the time,_ continued Ness. _Oh, and there’s this new Pokémon I’ve never seen before – Greninja. Apparently, he’s from a region called Kalos. He’s a Dark and Water type, so maybe you’ll have a harder go against him._

 _I am familiar with his home region. For a time, I resided in a cave there, close to a sanctuary for Pokémon. And though he may be a Dark type…_ Mewtwo idly began to form an orb of psychic energy in one hand. _I am certain that he will recognize a powerful opponent._

 _I think they all know – everybody has been talking about you,_ replied Ness, looking at the legendary. _There’s a bunch of other fighters, too, but I knew you’d want to hear about the Pokémon first. Oh, yeah, and they’ve got lots of new Pokéballs this time. They’ve even got Master Balls, which have legendary Pokémon inside them!_

 _Legendary Pokémon?_ Mewtwo turned to Ness. The energy ball dissipated. _Which ones?_

_Um, well, there were a lot of them, and I don’t remember their names, but I remember what they looked like…_

Mewtwo closed his eyes. He pressed their mental connection a little further, catching images of the Pokémon Ness was trying to remember.

 _Giratina, the Renegade Pokémon,_ thought Mewtwo, identifying the dragon. _Kyurem, the Boundary Pokémon. Xerneas, the Life Pokémon. And…_

The image of a four-legged, white-and-gold Pokémon was fixed in Ness’s mind.

 _Arceus. The Alpha._ Mewtwo opened his eyes. _I am… impressed._

 _Not much impresses you,_ replied Ness, with some trepidation.

 _The Creator tends to awe all those who see it,_ Mewtwo thought, with a dry tone. _You will experience it for yourself soon enough._

The duo was once again silent. They listened to the wind blow around the tower, and watched the trees wave their branches. The afternoon sun was still high in the sky. Ness’s shoulders relaxed.

A chorus of screeching voices came from the floors below, breaking the tranquility.

 ** _Koopalings,_** thought Mewtwo, with disgust. _I do not understand why Bowser had to bring his brats here._

 _They probably broke something – or maybe they tried pulling a prank…_ mused Ness. He focused for a moment, and heard Bowser bellowing at his offspring. _I don’t think I want to find out._

Mewtwo glared out the window, possibly hoping that the power of his thoughts would be enough to silence the koopas. After hearing more yelling, he gave something akin to a sigh.

 _They seem intent on causing mayhem._ The Pokémon crossed his legs. _If you wish to meditate for a while, you may stay._

 _I think I’d prefer that,_ replied Ness. He copied Mewtwo’s pose, closed his eyes, and began to slow his breaths.

The last time they had done this was before their final team match, close to the end of the second tournament. They had been in this room, in these poses, at this same time of day. Ness focused on sending one more thought to the Pokémon.

_Thank you._

Mewtwo did not reply, but a sense of calm radiated from his mind.

Even after the bedlam below them had finally subsided, each of the psychics stayed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, constructive commentary is appreciated!


End file.
